Rwanda’s Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) has awarded 30 students with a fully funded two-week study trip to the United Kingdom, including full tuition costs, after they emerged as the best performers among 120 finalists in the national The Orator English Competition.
The winners were announced on Sunday, July 19, 2026, during the competition’s closing ceremony. They will spend two weeks in the UK receiving intensive English language training.
Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana said the winning students have become role models who will inspire others to work harder and improve their English proficiency.
He explained that mastering English enables students to better understand other subjects, since English is the language of instruction in Rwanda’s education system. As a result, students are more likely to perform well in subjects such as Mathematics and Science, ultimately improving the overall quality of education.
“They will return as role models for others. When students understand English well, they also understand other subjects better because those subjects are taught in English,” he said.
Minister Nsengimana added that the initiative complements ongoing government efforts to strengthen English language skills among teachers, ensuring that Rwandans can compete for opportunities both within the country and internationally, especially since English is widely used in global trade and business.
Some of the top-performing students attributed their success to perseverance and said they remain committed to improving their English.
The overall winner, Mutara Anabella, a student at Lycée Notre-Dame de Cîteaux, said:
“This achievement gives me confidence that I can accomplish even greater things. This is only the beginning because learning a language is a lifelong journey.”
The first runner-up, Mbonimpaye Jean De Dieu, said:
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is never to give up. If I had quit, I wouldn’t be here today. Even with the little English I knew, I managed to succeed. This gives me confidence that I can achieve even more, and I look forward to gaining new knowledge during my time abroad.”
Among the 30 selected students, 15 are from the Ordinary Level (O-Level) section of secondary school, while the other 15 are Advanced Level (A-Level) students.
Minister of Youth and Arts, Dr. Abdallah Utumatwishima, congratulated the students and encouraged them to take full advantage of the opportunity to master foreign languages while they are still young so they can compete internationally.
He noted that it is unfortunate when talented individuals with promising business ideas fail to succeed simply because they cannot communicate effectively in international languages. He urged the students not to let language barriers prevent them from accessing future opportunities.
The Orator English Competition will now become an annual event, open to all public schools and government-supported schools across Rwanda.
Meanwhile, a national learning assessment report released in June 2026 by the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA)—based on research conducted in May 2025 under the Learning Assessment of Rwanda Schools (LARS)—revealed significant challenges in English literacy among students.
The study found that:
- 76% of students struggle to answer comprehension questions based on what they read.
- 63% are able to read individual words.
- Only 46.6% meet the national benchmark for reading fluency, defined as reading at least 35 words per minute.
The assessment, conducted every two years, surveyed 22,950 students from 592 schools across all districts of Rwanda. It evaluated students in Primary Three, Primary Six, and Senior Three, covering key subjects including Kinyarwanda, English, Mathematics, and Science.
Courtesy of IGIHE
